At the present, there are sorting methods to separate particles, such as cells and other biological entities, based on their size, density, and charge, but none that sort based on optical dielectric properties. For example, laser tweezers been described that use the interaction of light with a particle to move the particle around. However, in this case, a priori knowledge of which particle to move is required for the tweezers to be used as a sorting mechanism. In other words, tweezers are more of a ‘manipulation and/or transportation’ tool, rather than a ‘sorting’ tool. Thus, current methods and systems for separating particles require prior identification of the particles to be separated.
There is a need for a system and method for separating particles which does not require prior identification of the particles to be separated. There is also a need for a system and method for separating particles which does not damage the particles.